Already a successful competitor in the German touring car championship, Wolff is one of two drivers (alongside Simona de Silvestro, who has joined Sauber) taking steps to break into the highest levels of the sport.

It's not just Formula One, however, where we could see more women racers on the grid, as Rebecca Jackson explains, as she gets behind the wheel of a 2014 Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3. Run by British motorsport preparation specialist JRM, the GT-R complies with the FIA's GT3 regulations and is powered by a 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged V6. It costs from £295,000.

"Last year I launched Project Le Mans, which is my four-year plan to get to racing at Le Mans," says Rebecca, who as well as a racing driver is a regular Telegraph contributor.

However, you need more than talent behind the wheel if you're going to race at Le Mans, not least a vast budget. That's where Project Le Mans comes in, at the heart of which is Rebecca's goal to secure enough sponsorship in order to get her on to the grid in 2016.